Hagel’s assignment

I cannot think of any outstanding qualities that would recommend Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense. But the president is entitled to his choice for an important Cabinet position, as is the candidate to a fair hearing on his nomination.

On the surface, it seems puzzling why President Obama would choose a close associate from the opposing party when he must have been aware that the selection would make waves. Any gain derived from the appearance of bipartisanship is wiped out by the ensuing controversy. With daunting fiscal issues remaining unresolved, he can hardly afford to antagonize Republicans and some members of his own party.

The plausible explanation is that Mr. Hagel would fit Mr. Obama’s liberal concept of a defense strategy that seeks to shift from aggressive interventionism – “policing the world” that requires robust military expenditures – to dependence on international alliances, quiet diplomacy and a smaller defense budget. In his second, and final, term the president enjoys the flexibility to pursue any agenda that is close to his heart.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has supported most Obama administration Cabinet nominees, opposes the choice of his former Senate colleague. “Chuck Hagel is out of the mainstream on most issues regarding foreign policy,” he declared. He and others argue that the United States is under siege, and is the only guarantor of freedom in a world beset by a plethora of threats: Iran and North Korea developing nuclear weapons; Afghanistan hanging in the balance, the unraveling of the Arab Spring and the rise of China.

Mr. Hagel has many influential supporters and will probably be confirmed. But before he gets the nod, he should be required to clarify his position on some key issues.

Middle East. It is unfair to accuse him of anti-Semitism for referring to Israel’s American supporters as the “Jewish lobby” — the Israeli media uses the same expression. In two Senate terms, he voted for every measure containing aid to Israel. He is a critic of some of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies — but so is Barack Obama.

More problematic is his policy of “evenhandedness” he maintained even at times when Israel’s enemies were clearly the aggressors. “Israel must take steps to show its commitment to peace,” he said at the height of Yasser Arafat’s jihad against the Jewish state. He endorsed negotiations with Hamas, and refused to sign a letter urging the European Union to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization. None of this indicates that he’s soft on terrorism, as his detractors charge, but an explanation is in order.

Defense spending. Current Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the proposed $600 billion cuts (“sequestration”) in the defense budget would be “devastating” because it would result in “hollowing out the force.” Mr. Hagel called the Pentagon “bloated” and needing “to be pared down.” He should elaborate on the rate of military spending he would consider acceptable and explain how and where reductions should be made.

Nuclear threat. Mr. Hagel doesn’t just oppose military action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons; he actually rejects any unilateral sanctions against that rogue regime. He prefers diplomacy instead, apparently believing that negotiations will persuade the mullahs to abandon their nuclear ambition. He even indicated that he is willing to contain a nuclear Iran. That flies in the face of President Obama’s position, as he articulated it during his first term. This is a dangerous area, and America’s next secretary of defense should be expected to spell out his views in detail.

It might be argued that the defense secretary’s views are immaterial because policies are formulated in the White House and he is a mere executor of that policy. Still, the defense chief holds a powerful position and is sixth in the presidential line of succession. By statute he exercises authority and control over secretaries of the Army, Navy and the Air Force; the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Unified Combatant Command of the United States. Because he may not be appointed from the ranks of the active military, the secretary represents civilian control. He and the president together constitute the National Command Authorities (NCA) which has sole authority to launch strategic nuclear weapons.

Much has been made of Mr. Hagel’s service in Vietnam. However, a war record is truly irrelevant in the resume of a civilian who oversees the Pentagon. It brings back memories of John Kerry, now up for confirmation as secretary of state, who tried to exploit his Vietnam record in his run for president.

There have been some distinguished secretaries of defense over the years who left a legacy: James Forrestal, the first person to serve in that job; Robert McNamara, the longest serving secretary with 2,595 days in office; Donald Rumsfeld, who served under two presidents (Gerald Ford and George V. Bush), Melvin Laird, who left Congress to become defense secretary; Dick Cheney, who went on to become vice president; James Schlesinger, who became America’s first secretary of energy under Jimmy Carter; Caspar Weinberger, who served under three presidential administrations (Ford, Nixon and Reagan just to mention a few).

Chuck Hagel doesn’t measure up to some of his predecessors. But he is likely to qualify for the role Barack Obama has for him.

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